on the menu this week...

The weather has finally cooled down and I'm back in the kitchen. Here's this week's menu--it's full of comfort foods:

chicken curry

macaroni and cheese with broccoli

pork ribs, potatoes, veggie

black bean chili, fritos, salad

chicken pot pie

English Scones

These scones are traditional English tea scones. I like them best warm with butter and raspberry jam. They remind me very much of the famous Puyallup Fair scones.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

about 3/4 cups milk

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. I usually soften the butter just a little to make it easier to cut in.

Beat egg in a measuring cup and then add milk until it equals 3/4 cup of liquid together. Pour the egg.milk mixture into the dry crumbly mix and stir together.

With a little flour, knead the dough lightly and then form it into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into quarters, like a pie, and place on an ungreased baking sheet, separating the triangles just a bit so they are not touching.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown.

on the menu this week...

asian lettuce wraps

big fat bacon sliders, potatoes, salad

enchiladas, rice and beans

chicken curry

meatballs with peppers and pineapple

on the menu this week...

french toast, hash browns, sausage
super nachos
chicken alfredo with peas
orange chicken with rice and broccoli
lentil soup

on the menu this week...

pork, potato, apple cakes with steamed cabbage
ragu pasta
chicken curry
macaroni and cheese with broccoli
ribs, butternut squash, corn

on the menu this week...

enchiladas
sloppy joes
pizza
lentil soup
ragu

on the menu this week...

this week everyone picked a favorite meal:

french toast, hash browns, sausage
pepperoni pizza and carrots
meatloaf and mashed potatoes
pasta al forno and sauteed spinach
orange chicken

on the menu this week...

this week we're trying different meals from our countries of origin:

swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, cabbage
gnocchi with a tomato sauce and artichokes
roasted chicken, potato wedges, fresh veggies
waterzooi
pot roast, potatoes, carrots, pudding

Jesus Supper

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner began when I was a little girl. We celebrate with birth of Jesus Christ by eating foods that he may have eaten by candlelight without utensils and served on wooden dishes or stoneware.

Typically we serve:
salmon
beef summer sausage
assorted cheeses
pita bread
grapes
olives
nuts
sparkling cider

Occasionally we've served:
grape juice
apple juice
baked chicken
beef jerky
rolls
dried fruits

It's surprisingly filling and delicious and my favorite way to spend Christmas Eve with my family.

Salmon

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh salmon fillet
juice of one large lemon
about 1/4 teaspoon salt
about 1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion sliced
8 oz. mushrooms sliced

Place fish in baking dish lined with foil. Pour on lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dice butter and place evenly on top of fish. Top with onion and mushrooms. Cover with foil.

Bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes until flakey.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Sift together flour, soda, salt and set aside. Cream together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, sour cream. Mix in dry ingredients. Add nutmeg.
Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to slightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.

Hot Cocoa

mix together in large container:

10 2/3 cups instant dry powdered milk
6 oz. jar of flavored creamer (I like French Vanilla)
2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. can of powdered hot chocolate

stir together about 1/3 cup of mix per 1 cup of hot water

on the menu this week...

swedish meatballs with rice and peas
chicken curry
chicken alfredo with sauteed spinach
sloppy joes with red potatoes and carrots
Jesus Supper--this is our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. I'll post the menu, photos and recipes next week.

I've been doing a lot of holiday baking/cooking and I'll be posting some new recipes...so check back soon

Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1/4 cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 beaten egg

mix flour and salt
cut in shortening with pastry cutter or fork until crumbly
mix water, vinegar and egg then add to crumb mixture

divide into two balls
roll out each one between two pieces of waxed paper
fit into pie pan and trim edges

bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or follow recipe to fill and bake

makes two 9 inch pie crusts

Sugared Yams

peel and dice 2-3 large yams
boil in salted water until soft

melt together 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar
drain yams and dump into a baking dish
sprinkle with salt and pepper
spoon the butter/sugar mixture over the top
bake at 450 for about 20 minutes

Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup butter (melted, not hot)
4 1/2--5 cups flour

mix yeast, water and a little sugar and set aside
mix everything else, except the flour
tip: make sure the water, milk and butter are not hot
mix in yeast mixture and then flour
knead until a soft ball forms
let rise in a warm place until double

punch down and roll out
cut into circles
dip half of the roll into melted butter and fold in it half on the baking sheet
tip: do not roll out dough more than once or twice
rise until double again

bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown

on the menu this week...

macaroni and cheese with broccoli
orange chicken with asparagus
hawaiian haystacks
beef stroganoff with peas
meatloaf, potatoes, artichokes
tacos

on the menu this week...

chicken curry
fish taco salad
french dip sandwiches with zucchini squash
ragu pasta
bones and blood

on the menu this week...

this week we're going a little vegetarian (by that I mean some different veggies and chicken or fish)

lemon chicken and artichoke pasta
fish, potatoes and peas
creamy carrot soup
honey ginger chicken, beets and spinach
spaghetti squash with tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan cheese

Red Velvet Cake

[aka] blood cake was my favorite cake growing up and I have yet to perfect my mom's recipe, but here's how she makes it...

ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar

cream together shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla
in a small bowl mix cocoa powder and red food coloring and add 1 oz. water (i usually refill the food coloring bottle with water and add it in)
add the cocoa/food coloring mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix
sift together the flour and salt
alternate in the flour and the buttermilk
in another bowl mix the baking soda with the vinegar (it will bubble)
stir in vinegar/soda mixture

bake in greased and floured 8 inch round cake pans at 350 for 30 minutes (do not over-bake or the cake will be dry)

frosting:
(this is the tricky part, for me anyway)

in a small saucepan cook 5 tablespoons flour with 1 cup milk, stirring often
after it thickens, cover with a cloth (to prevent a crust from forming) and cool (not in refrigerator to prevent condensation)
once it is room temperature or cooler, cream together 1 cup butter (not margarine) 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla
add cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until fluffy (at least 5 minutes)